Prep (15 minutes):

1. Cut the pork:  Trim any excess fat from the pork and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

2. Prepare the vegetables:  Peel and chop the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery.

Cooking (1 hour):

1. Heat the oil:  Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.

2. Sauté the vegetables: Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the hot oil and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened and translucent.

3. Brown the pork: Add the pork pieces to the pot with the softened vegetables and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the pork for 5-7 minutes, or until browned on all sides.

4. Add the aromatics and spices:  Stir in the minced garlic, dried Greek oregano, granulated onion powder, smoked sweet paprika, whole rosemary leaves, whole thyme leaves, Vadouvan curry powder, and chili flakes. Cook for an additional minute, allowing the flavors to release.

5. Deglaze the pan (optional):  Pour in about ½ cup of chicken broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping up any browned bits. This adds extra flavor to the soup.

6. Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil:  Pour in the remaining chicken broth (5 ½ cups) and bring the mixture to a boil.

7. Simmer and adjust heat: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the pork is fork-tender.

8. Adjust seasonings:  After the pork is tender, taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference.

Serving (10 minutes):

1. Serve and garnish (optional): Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley (optional) for a touch of color and freshness.

Tips:

• You can add other vegetables to this soup, such as green beans, chopped potatoes, or turnips. Simply add them to the pot with the carrots and celery in step 4.

• For a thicker soup, you can mash a portion of the cooked vegetables (about ½ cup) with a fork or potato masher and stir it back into the soup.

• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently in a pot on the stovetop until warmed through.

Enjoy this delicious and flavorful spicy pork soup with Vadouvan and thyme!